Aging, analogical transfer, and everyday problem solving.

Abstract

The current study investigated the relationship between technology (IT) use, aging, and everyday problem solving by examining the presence of analogical transfer from general life experience to the given problem solving tasks. Participants between 18 to 91 years old were surveyed about their daily technology use and then, tested for their ability to find information, plan efficient routes, and solve the tower of Hanoi (TOH) problem. The results suggested that visual-spatial ability in technology use transferred to solve information finding task, while the technology use inhibited the formation of subgoals in TOH. Aging was not associated with lower performances when the amount of technology use was accounted. The implications of the findings are discussed.